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12
Mar 2023
Last Updated: 10/03/2023
Explained: Who will make planning decisions in Harrogate district after devolution?
A new council is set to take over in the Harrogate district in three weeks’ time.
Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council will make way for North Yorkshire Council on April 1.
The move throws up questions over housing and planning in the district - in particular, who will make the decisions?
In this article, we will explain how key decisions over housing, new businesses and a Local Plan for the Harrogate area will be made.
Who currently makes planning decisions?
Currently, any decision over permission to build new homes or businesses in the Harrogate district is made by Harrogate Borough Council.
The council is the local planning authority - meaning any applications must be submitted to it.
Officials at the council then make decisions on whether to approve or refuse permission for a development.
Some applications may go to a council planning committee, which is made up of local councillors, to make a decision.
What will change from April?
From April, the borough council will no longer exist.
This means that the new North Yorkshire Council will become the local planning authority.
Any proposals to build new homes of businesses will have to be submitted to the new council.
It will then make decisions on new developments in the Harrogate district.
How will it make decisions?
North Yorkshire Council has proposed setting up two committees to deal with planning applications.
The first will be a strategic planning committee in Northallerton which will deal with major proposals, such as plans for 500 or more homes and employment sites.
There will also be a sub-committee on the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee, which will deal with proposals of 500 homes or less.
Similarly, plans for Ripon would be overseen by the Ripon and Skipton Area Constituency Committee.
What about the Harrogate district Local Plan?
Under the new council, a fresh Local Plan will be drawn up.
The plan will show where land can be used for housing and employment over the next 15 years.
It means that the current Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35 is set to be scrapped.
Read more:
- Councillor calls for housebuilding in Harrogate to be paused
- Harrogate councillors approve transfer of council-owned companies
- Explained: What happens to bin collections in Harrogate after devolution?
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